“Jim, for the love of all that’s holy, get your nose out of his crotch. I’m so sorry,” Aisling apologized to Andrew. “It knows better than that.”

“It?” Andrew glanced down at the dog and gave it a tentative pat on the head.

“I’m a demon. Sixth class, yet,” the dog said proudly, turning its attention to me. “Aisling is my demon lord, but don’t worry, she’s not a bad one. Well, she’s bad at being a demon lord, but not a bad person. Hey, babe! Gotta love a drummer, and a girl version is just made of awesome.”

“May I remind you that I’m standing right here,” Aisling said with a pointed look at the dog when it greeted Rina.

“Love ya, too, sweet cheeks,” it said, grinning at her. I remembered that all demons were referred to using the “it” pronoun. I didn’t understand why, but who was I to question tradition.

“Uh-huh. Don’t you have somewhere else to go?”

“Nope. Love me some tunes, so I’m happy to hang with the band.”

Rina climbed down to stalk over to us, her eyes narrowed on the demon dog. “You are demon?”

“Yuppers. Name’s Jim. Hey, do you find all that drumming makes your boobs bigger? You know, like the ‘I must, I must, I must increase my bust’ exercises that girls do?”

“I don’t know anyone who does that,” Aisling said, swatting the dog on its head. “And stop being so rude. I’m terribly sorry, Miss ... er ... Katya. Jim’s a bit deranged, what with the party and all the people here tonight.”

“Is OK,” Rina said, running her hands along the dog’s back. Jim shivered in delight. “Demons I like. They are so very ... wicked.”

“Oh yeah, I’m all shades of wicked,” it told her. “There’s a spot on my back where if you scratch it just right, I turn into an animal, heh heh he—”

Aisling whomped the demon again. “And that’s enough about your itchy spot.”

“I’m just trying to be friendly,” it said with a little pout.

Rina stroked it a couple more times, then leaned down and whispered in its ear. Jim’s eyes bugged out a little, and it gave a low whistle when she returned to assembling her drums.

“I’m so sorry,” Aisling apologized again to us. “But you know how it is with demons.”

“Yeah, we’re irrepressible,” Jim said, turning its attention to me. “Hi there.”

“Hello,” I said, my palms pricking with a sudden dampness. I had no idea if demons were prescient enough to tell what I was. “I’ve never met a demon before. Is the dog form common?”

“Only for demons of extraordinary good sense,” Jim answered.

“I’m so glad you’re here. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find bands who are hip to people in the Otherworld. If it hadn’t been for the Otherworld Suppliers agency, I’d never have found you,” Aisling continued, giving the demon a warning look. I wondered what I’d do if Jim suddenly started spilling the news that I was a siren. “This party was kind of a last-minute thing, what with Drake not wanting people around the baby, but she’s almost three months old and isn’t going to expire from all the attention. You’re sure you can run those speakers out here? You have enough power? Not that I’m questioning your expertise, but I want to make sure that you sound ... you know ... good,” she said, glancing at the speakers that Cassius was hauling by means of a hand truck. He hadn’t fully come out of the mental push I’d given him, so was more docile and less bitchy than normal.

Andrew bristled slightly, but I gave his back a pinch before answering. “I know exactly what you mean—we’ve had those gigs where we weren’t allowed to crank up the sound the way we would have liked to, but I assure you Andrew is an expert on sound equipment as well as being a hell of a keyboard player, so we’ll sound just fine for your party.”

“Oh, good. I’m so glad you understood what I was trying to say.” Aisling gave us both a smile. Her demonic dog ambled over toward me, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. I was braced and ready for it to expose me when it gave my feet a friendly snuffle. Almost immediately it paused, and cocked a furry eyebrow at me.

“Hey.” Jim took another sniff at my feet. “You don’t smell right.”

“Jim!” Aisling said, scolding the demon. “I’m so sorry, Vicky. Just ignore it.”

“I didn’t say she smelled bad—I just said she didn’t smell right.” It took a long, snorting sniff. “Like ... not exactly—”

“Aisling! We have a problem!” The cry came from behind us.

“—like not exactly human. Like—”

I braced myself for an outcry, but Aisling whirled around at her name, and moved a few steps to meet the woman racing toward us across the gorgeous emerald lawn.

“—like something not normal.”

I tried frantically to think of what I was going to say when the demon revealed my true nature. “Don’t be silly. What would I be if not human?”

Jim gave me a long look. “Dunno, but you’re not a human like that guy beside you and that chick on the drums with the seriously kinky fetish about hairy black dogs.”

A woman with a short black bob hurried up to Aisling, giving Andrew and me a little nod before continuing a bit breathlessly, “There’s a problem with the First Dragon.”

“Oh, god, what?” Aisling asked. “He hasn’t changed anyone into anything, has he?”

“He told me he was going to turn me into a slug if I kept slobbering on his shoes, but I think that was just the way his sort shows affection,” Jim said, leaving my feet to join its owner’s conversation. “Also, Drake told him that he can banish me to the Akasha if I get what Drake calls lippy. Me! Lippy! As if! He can’t do that, can he? Only you are supposed to be able to banish me, which I gotta say you do all too often. But still!”

“No one has been turned into anything, although Baltic looks furious that his father is here. I take it their relationship isn’t the best,” the dark-haired woman said.

“Well, granted, when your father is the same demigod who literally created the race of dragons, it can be a bit daunting to have him hanging around watching you, but Baltic can just get over it. Ysolde says he will, and look at Drake! He was horrified at first that we have this little wager going, but now he’s resigned to entertaining the First Dragon for a bit.”